The lyrics and delivery are the heart of this work and the recordings were built around them. The creative process, excluding the instrumental Part Two, has been about elevating or submerging, revelation or obfuscation; trying to see or wilfully not seeing, accepting the inability to see what is being said.

The pillars, Parts One & Three, of this work started with Stephen Moore narrating the lyrics: on Part One he was accompanied by Walter Cardew, guitar, harmonica player Ray Wallen and bassist Tas Danazoglou who improvised a response to Stephen’s performance; in Part Three he accompanied himself with staff, drum and foot-scrapping-stamping whilst Walter provided acoustic guitar interludes.

The development of Part Three sheds light on the dynamics of the album. Alongside the basic audio recording, into the computer programme, were put midi sequences of standard songs . Stephen was then able to use that material, midi material created by the audio-to-midi generator function in the computer, and effects to shape an accompaniment hence create a sonic/lyrical piece to which Walter then composed episodes to be performed by a chamber ensemble.

Walter imposed a large scale harmonic structure and finale drawing together elements from the preceding episodes, and used material from the episodes in overdubs on Part One. Part Two is a re-orchestration of one of the episodes. And so the Narrator’s poetry is cajoled, sometimes nurtured, sometimes spurned and sometimes prodded by the music.